


When the Woods Call

by Angelpuns



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Animal AU, Animals, Child Abuse, DNA Experimentation, Evil Scientists - Freeform, Experimentation on Children, Im sure theres more later aha, Jesse is a Himbo, M/M, Mystery, PTSD, Ranger Gabriel, Shifter AU, Trauma, cult shit, deer jesse, evil corporation, government is shitty, himbo jesse, intense ptsd, jesse has a cute horse, jesse is a deer, jesse's horse, lots of trauma, mad scientist shit, mustation, mysterious animal deaths, nature reserve, nature reserve jesse, ranger jack morrison, ranger jesse, really bad shit, science labs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25837270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelpuns/pseuds/Angelpuns
Summary: Jesse, a ranger at the Retlin Woods Nature Reserve, thinks he's seen everything. The good and the bad. Nothing prepared him to find an unidentifable animal corpse in the woods. The mysteriousness surrounding he corpse and the fact that he could be in serious danger bothers him to the point of investigating and he makes a disturbing discovery.
Relationships: Genji Shimada/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *** indicates the beginning/end of the graphic depiction of the animal corpse in this chapter. Feel free to skip that part if it grosses you out or anything.

Calm had washed over the woods, a delicate veil of mist and dewdrops settling after a night of rain. Late to rise, the sun peeked over a distant mountain, golden light making patterns on the ground. Birdsong filled every corner, as if to coax along the approaching spring.

The smell of rain lingered as Jesse stopped what he was doing and drew in a deep breath, savoring it. It had been a long, dry winter and the rain brought relief from the threat of wildfires and bitter cold alike. The roaring of the river below just barely drowned out the echoing of Jesse’s previous whistling on the cliff below, the noise soon fading back into the sounds of the forest. The tawny buckskin beneath him flicked her ear in annoyance when he stopped, before bobbing her head a little as if asking him to continue. 

Jesse chuckled, giving the horse an affectionate pat, “ ya like that one, don’t ya Clem? I’ll hafta play it for ya proper when we get back”

He stopped the horse at the end of the path, on a cliff overlooking the rest of the forest. The view made him grin, Jesse letting out a long, relieved sigh. 

This was how his mornings had gone for the last six years. Every morning, just him and Clementine and the forest. He’d been working and living in the Retlin Woods Nature Preserve since he was eighteen and it was still heaven on Earth. Nothing compared to waking up with a chorus of birds and the Colorado sun shining into his window. Even in the winter, the forest was beautiful and lively. 

Jesse clicked his tongue and pulled on the reins a bit, urging Clementine to turn around so they could head back. He’d been on duty all night and wanted to get some shut-eye before lunch.

The buckskin didn’t move, snorting and stomping the ground in defiance. Her dark mane whipped around as she shook her head, Jesse hurrying to shush her before she bucked him right off. Even after all this time, she still threw him sometimes. 

“ calm down, sugar, calm down..” he shushed, leaning in close an rubbing her neck soothingly, “ s’alright, calm down”

It wasn’t long before Clementine settled down, but she still refused to turn and leave the cliff. Her gaze, spooked and a little wild, was fixated on the trees to their right, where the trail ended and the endless woods began. 

Jesse calmed her enough to dismount, giving her a few reassuring pats before he started into the trees. If Clem had been spooked, there must’ve been something in there. He crept further and further into the wood, hand resting on his revolver. He’d taken to carrying it after an incident with a hunter, his superiors begging him to at least carry it when he went on patrol. 

Jesse had found things in these woods before. Old cameras, lost phones and sunglasses. The occasional abandoned tent. Hell, he’d even found animal corpses, though it wasn’t all that strange when winter came ‘round. Animals gotta eat, too. 

Nothing could prepare him for what he saw. 

Nestled under a bush, deep in the wooded area, was the corpse of a...well, he couldn’t tell.

Jesse could easily track and distinguish animals of all kinds. He’d been taught well and could probably even track’em by smell at this point, as strange as that was. But even someone with his knowledge couldn’t figure out what sort of creature this was - or had been. 

Not that he got too good of a look at it. 

A shiver crept up his sine at the mere sight of it, the familiar nausea threatening to do him in. He was quick to snap a picture with his phone and leave, covering his nose in the hopes he could keep himself from the inevitable. He’d made it all the way back to Clementine before he couldn’t control it anymore. He ripped off his boots, pants and shirt before the nausea overwhelmed him and forced him to his hands and knees. The change was quick and painless as always, his hands and feet replaced by hooves, antlers spreading up and out. 

In mere moments, Jesse had been replaced with a reddish-brown stag. And a pretty small one at that. 

The nausea had faded, but Jesse still snorted angrily. His shirt, pants and boots were safe where he had left him, but his undergarments were ripped and ruined once again. He’d gone through too many pairs of underwear and socks like this , especially when he’d first come here. 

More than losing a couple of socks and underwear, Jesse was angry that it had happened. He’d been doing so well lately, especially the last few months. He thought he;d have more control by now! 

The deer gathered up his clothing with teeth and antlers alike, tossing them up and onto Clementine’s back. She was still a little restless, but Jesse was still a familiar sight. He finished cleaning up by struggling for several minutes to get his hat up and onto his head, before settling with carrying it in his mouth for about the hundredth time. He still had yet to master the cleanup, too. 

He made a little grunting sound to Clemtine before starting back to his home. It was going to be a bit before he could change back and he certainly wasn’t going to do it here and be caught naked on the trail. Clementine followed obediently, though she still seemed uneasy about what lay in the woods. He would have reassured her if he hadn’t changed. 

The walk was about an hour, Jesse coaxing Clem into the stable before he himself trotted up to the house. The change back wasn’t as bad, save for the face that he was now vey naked on his front porch. He rushed into the house to pull something on, shivering as he did. It was too damn chilly to be walking aroun dbucknaked like this, even in his little log cabin-esque home. Once dressed, he headed out to take care of Clem and gather his now dirty clothes up so they could be washing. He didn’t want to go on patrol tonight without his work jeans, after all. 

Soon enough he was sitting down at his makeshift desk and pulling the photo he’d taken earlier up on his laptop. 

He stared at it for a while, thankful that at least he didn’t have to smell it. His shifting was almost always triggered by smells more than sights, after all. 

***

  
  
  


The corpse was mangled, that was for sure. The organs were completely gone - every last one of them viciously ripped out. Bones had been shattered and left strewn around it. IT had been stripped clean of it’s fur, which was the most unusual thing. It also didn’t have a head, bones and sinew poking out where it had previously been. Perhaps the most disconcerting thing about it was that the limbs had been torn off. Not a single one left. At this point, it looked more like a lump of blood, bones and maggots, like a swarm of some sort of bug had come and cleaned it. 

  
  
  
  


***

But Jesse knew that wasn’t the case. Even for the fastest flesh-eating bugs (which weren’t even native to this area) would have taken at least a week or two to clean an animal of this size, even if there was some tissue still left. But Jesse had been patrolling every morning and hadn’t noticed a thing. Clementine was sharp, too, and she would have noticed a rotting corpse far earlier than this. It was just too strange. Unidentifiable corpse with strange decay..

Jesse groaned, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. This was starting to seem like more of a hunter problem than some kind of mystery and he /hated/ hunters. For one, it was illegal here and ...he knew all too well what it was like to be the prey of something as cruel as a human being. 

He sighed and texted his superiors - Gabriel and Jack - to see if they could make sense of it. They knew even more than him, after all. 

He glanced at the picture again. The most he knew was that it was an animal, about the size of a deer. But the deer around these parts in particular usually stuck much closer to the trail. 

As he scanned the picture, his mind began to wonder from possible corpses to something much more sinister. The reminder that hunters were out there. No, that cruel humans were out that had brought old thoughts back to the surface. 

Flashes of needles and the coppery acne tof his own blood. The glint of teeth as a creature- almost always a predatory one- went in for the kill. Merciless punishment that, even after revealing much of the truth, Jesse didn’t think he could even begin to describe. 

  
  


Jesse closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, only to feel the cool and familiar metal of a door. The door that kept him there. He absentmindedly rubbed at an uncovered bite mark on his neck. It was from two weeks ago. He was sure it was infected. He almost didn’t won that fight. Almost hadn’t survived that trial. Even when he was ripped away from the gith and told he was 

**_Supposed_ ** to die, he wouldn’t stop fighting. He couldn’t stop for even a second. 

The boy’s eyes opened at the sound of heavy footsteps.  _ Mierda _ , it wasn’t time to eat. Food wasn;t brought until midday and he knew the last trial had gone well into the night. He tensed, wondering if they were going to take him to another trial so soon. They really wanted him gone, huh?

He felt sick, the earlier pride at winning another fight sucked away by fear in an instant. Nausea crept up his throat and he pushed it down again, willing himself not to shift. Maybe if he got some control they’d let him live. Maybe. 

Then again, if he refused to shift, they’d hand him over to one of the other scientists to ‘put him in his place’. He hated that more than the trials. The steps passed his door and he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. 

The boy stood when he heard another door a short distance away open. A girl whimpered. He was quick to stand at his tallest, suddenly glad for his gangly arms and legs. He could just see over the small window into the dimly lit hallway. 

He couldn’t see the door from this vantage point, but the steps soon passed by his door again, this time accompanied by the cries and screams of the girl. He knew her immediately when she passed by. He’d passed the sheep girl several times before. She was a bit of a fighter, too. The man carrying her was one of the worst, Dr. Rodriguez. A scientist, though he didn’t seem to do any experiments. No, he was in charge of moving the subjects around and ‘putting them in their place’, by whatever means he saw necessary. 

The boy didn’t look at his face, he knew he’d be sick if he did. He couldn’t even bring it into his mind, he hated that man. He did, however, make eye contact with the crying girl. He didn’t get a good look, though, quick to slide back down into his huddled position. He didn’t want to be seen by the man. He didn’t want to have to see him again for a while if he could help it. 

The footsteps continued down the hall, the girl soon screaming again. He covered his ears, pressing the heels of his hands hard into them. It was distorted, but he could still hear it. He could still hear her when he fell asleep that night, even when he buried his face into the mattress and tried to drown it out. When he was brought for a trial the next evening, he could still smell the fresh blood. 

Jesse was suddenly brought out of his reverie by a buzz, Jack’s picture showing up as the caller ID. He answered, drawing a hand down his face as if to get rid of the buzz of thoughts. Jack was questioning him, rambling about the picture. 

“Shit, hold on Pops, lemme think for a minute..” he interrupted, sitting up and glancing voer the photo again. 

“where did you find that? Any tracks around it?” Jack continued, ignoring Jesse’s protests. 

“ didn’t see any at first glance, “ he started, putting Jack on speakerphone so he could rub away the oncoming headache. He’d been awake way too long. 

“ smell was somethin’ awful, made me shift and I had to come back to the house, “ he muttered, leaning back in the chair, “ found it at tha end of the trail, out near the river. Clem sensed it ‘fore I did and got all riled up”

“ Shit,  _ Mijo _ , I thought you were working on controlling that?” Gabe’s voice rattled through the line. Jesse didn’t realize he too was on speaker. 

“ I have-” Jesse grunted, sitting back up and fiddling with an old walnut shell that sat on his desk. It was messy with little treasures and knick-knacks like that, running from interesting rocks to old toys he’d found in the woods. Having things to touch at his desk was one of the things that kept him grounded, especially after he had just shifted. 

“-but that ain’t tha point.” he finished, glaring at the photo in front of him, “ this ain’t no ordinary kill. Might be a hunter or somethin’”

“ not a hunter, “ Gabriel retorted, “ somethin; more vicious than that. Why the hell would a hunter want the organs?”

“ plus they don;t usually leave the corpse out here for everyone to see” Jack agreed. 

Jesse groaned, sighing deeply, “ look, all I know is it wasn;t there yesterday and ain’t no bugs cleanin’ a carcass that quick. No animals either.”

There was shuffling on the other line, Jack letting out a deep sigh, “ it’s strange alright. Jesse, we’re coming to get a better lock this afternoon. Be careful. I’m hoping for your sake it’s just the local coyotes, but the damage is too big for them, so just keep a lookout for something bigger..”

Jesse grunted out a ‘yessir’, before hanging up the phone with a groan. He just hoped it was a fluke. Or the damn coyotes. 

He stared at the picture for a while before finally getting up and heading to bed. The cabin-esque home was fairly small, but it was more than enough room who spent most of their time outdoors. The living room and kitchen were almost the same room, with a breakfast nook that Jesse used as an office. The bedroom and bathroom were towards the back, as well as a little laundry area. But that was all Jesse needed. He didn’t plan on giving up his life on the reserve for anything, although Jack and Gabe promised he’d fall in love and end up sharing it. He wasn’t sure if he was capable of that. Or that he was even worth falling for. It had taken him a long time to accept Gabriel and Jack as parents. He was so grateful for what they did for him, even if it had been hard at first. But to find someone that could love him, even when he couldn’t keep himself from turning him into a fucking deer. Even when he was this cursed? That felt impossible. No, he was destined to be alone for a good, long while. Just him and Clementine and the forest. Every morning til he was in his grave. That was all he could ever want


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight content warning for some mentions of eating disorders (it's nothing major and it isn't graphic, but i just wanted to put the warning out there)
> 
> Yes, I did rewrite this chapter! I wanted it to be more of a mystery fic than it was before and this version better highlights Jesse's relationship with Gabe Jack and Ana. I have also made a tumblr page dedicated to visual references and additional information if anyone is interested! 
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/whenthewoodscall

Jesse finally woke from a restless sleep, just around four o clock. He scowled and muttered a curse upon waking, his shirt damp with sweat despite the chilly Spring weather. 

“ Same shit as always…” He grunted, pulling the t-shirt over his head and throwing it into the corner, just missing the hamper. He shivered when his feet touched the floor, hurrying to get up and put on his clothes in an attempt to warm himself a bit. He glanced at the mirror over his dresser, brushing his hands through his hair in an attempt to get rid of the bedhead. No use. He waved off his reflection and started for the kitchen, hardly hungry despite missing breakfast and lunch. 

His phone was still lying where he’d left it - face down on the desk. He grabbed it and made his way into the kitchen. 

Eleven missed calls from Gabe. Five more from Jack. Plus a dozen or so messages from the both of them, asking if he was alright. If he had slept. Eaten. 

As far as overprotective parents went, they were close to jailers sometimes. 

He dialed Gabe’s umber, slotting the phone between his ear and shoulder as he set to work making dinner. Gabriel picked up almost immediately, Jesse already wishing he’d called Jck instead. 

“ How-How dare you not pick up the phone! I can’t believe you- !” 

Jesse said nothing as he rambled, listening as Jack finally took the phone and shooed Gabe away. 

“ ya’ll done? I’m tryin’ to make dinner over here..” Jesse muttered, Jack just sighing in response. 

“ he was- we- were worried.” He muttered, “We’ve got some news about the corpse and you’re not going to like it.” 

Jesse put the finishing touches on his ham and cheese sandwich and took a big bite, his voice muffled through the bread. 

“ hit me”

“ Jesse, it was a deer. Full-sized buck.” 

Jesse swallowed, saying nothing as Jack continued. 

“ It was a little bigger than you and they still don’t know what killed it. It could be really dangerous out there”

Jesse was silent for a moment, mulling it over. He’d come across dead deer before. He wasn’t usually bothered by that kind of thing, but this was… He took the phone from its place on his shoulder shaking his head before putting it up to his ear again. 

“ ya’ll worry too much. S’long as it ain’t a hunter I can handle it,” He muttered, taking a couple more bites and swallowing forcefully, “ I can take care of myself, Jack, I ain’t a kid no more”

There was a sigh and then silence, Jack finally speaking after several minutes. 

“ Alright. But if this shit happens again I’m sending Lt. Matthews to patrol with you”

Now it was Jesse’s turn to sigh. 

“ Jack, I’ll be fine-”

“ Please, Jess. For Gabe. He’s getting too old to worry this much,” Jack said, sounding defeated, “ I am too. You’re gonna put us both in the grave at this rate, kid”

Silence. 

“ Alright, “ Jesse finally broke, finishing off his dinner in a couple of bites, “ dell the old man to ged some resd and ca-m down”

Jack chuckled, “ will do”

Jesse pulled the phone away to hang up, only for Jack’s voice to call him back.

“ Jesse?”

“Yeah?”

“ glad to hear you’re eating dinner,” Jack said, “ I’m proud of you”

“ Thanks, pops..”

Jesse hung up at that, tossing the phone onto the couch as he passed. 

It had been a long time since they had to remind him to eat. 

When Gabe and Jack had found him he was skinny as a twig - half-starved and he didn’t even realize. Years of living off of one meal a day and scrounging for scraps in the gang had left him without much of an appetite. His pops had worried him about it all the time when he’d first moved in. He remembered Gabe working himself into a fever, deliriously threatening to drop Jessse off on the side of the highway where they’d found him. He didn’t mean it, Jack apologizing on the ailing man’s behalf and promising that he was just worried. It was the first time he’d heard someone was worried about him. Needless to say he tried a little harder after that, but old habits die hard. 

Jesse chuckled faintly at the memory. He sure as hell wasn’t that scrawny kid anymore. He grabbed an apple from the bowl on the coffee table and headed outside, taking a bite as he walked the stone path between his doorstep and Clementine’s little stable. 

Birds sang as they had that morning, the mid-afternoon sun hanging low in the sky. It would be another cold night, but the bite of it would be bracing when he went on patrol. 

Even with the peacefulness the forest exuded, Jesse couldn’t suppress a nagging worry about whatever was lingering far beyond the trees. He was less worried about himself and more worried about the woods themselves. Something that vicious could ruin the calm of the woods in a matter of days. 

Jesse took a bite of the apple and hopped the short fence into Clem’s little heard, the horse nickering when she saw him. She stomped and bobbed her head, chastising him for not coming out sooner. 

“ I know, I know. I’m late..” He sighed, lazily sauntering over. He approached Clem’s door and gave her a little rub on the nose, the horse affectionately pressing her hand into the touch. Of course, it turned out to be a ruse so she could try and snatch the half-eaten apple, nearly biting his fingers in the process. 

“Hey! You lil’ harlot, tryna snatch my dinner, “ Jesse scolded, moving away a bit to finish his lunch, “ you’ve got plenty a food in there and you know Ana’ll have a fit if she knows you’ve been tryna snatch food again”

The horse snorted a little, but finally let up, Jesse managing to finish his apple without too much hassle. He tossed the core out into the trees before opening the little gate that kept Clem inside, the buckskin immediately prancing into the little paddock. 

“ ya ready ta hear dhat liddle diddy from dis mornin’?” Jesse questioned, mumbling through a mouthful of food. He swallowed as he made his way into the little tack room and pulled out a guitar. He wasn’t a great singer or player, but he practiced just enough to play for Clementine. He knew how much she loved it. 

Clementine trotted over at that, Jesse already taking a seat on a little chair he’d pulled out here just for this occasion. He strummed a few stray notes, Clementine already getting excited. 

The song was nothing much, just a little tune that he’d heard some time ago. It had gotten stuck in his head and he just couldn’t stop humming it today. 

Clem took to hopping around the little area, Jesse stopping to laugh before getting up and running around with her. They must’ve looked so silly, but that was the beauty of living in a forest. No one to watch you act a fool. 

Midnight came and went, Jesse starting his patrol as usual. The night was quite brisk, the bite of it on his hands and cheeks making him smile to himself. He felt much more energetic when it was cold like this and he knew Clementine did, too. 

Jesse was just making his way up to the end of the trail, the first orange rays of sunlight filtering through the trees. He basked in the slight warmth sunlight brought, closing his eyes and revelling in the normalcy of it. He took a deep breath, the crisp cold air filling his lungs. 

And then came the stench. 

The scent and the nausea were becoming all too familiar for his taste, Jesse blanching at the sight of a mangled, already rotting corpse lying in the dirt in front of him. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** indicate a section that may be triggering due to panic/child abuse, feel free to skip it.

***

  
  


He felt as if his lungs were caving in, squeezing each time he tried to take a breath. His neck ached with bruises forming over bruises, his collarbone dotted with the finger-sized spots. Something was wet on his face, he hoped it was tears. It could be blood. Or worse. 

He tried not to think of what else it could be. 

“ shut the hell up-stop...stop crying!” Dr. Rodriguez’ hands twitched, the boy beneath him flinching at the thought of the fists closing over his throat. They didn’t, instead moving to tenderly stroke his shoulders. The touch was too gentle, too intimate. The calloused hands were rough on his skin, the boy feeling nauseous at the thought of them grating on him like this. 

  
  


***

Jesse felt as if he were being throttled, the nausea that followed easily overwhelming him. He vaguely felt Clementine under him, restless and trying to buck him off. He held tight, shakily rubbing her neck in an attempt to calm her. He managed to pull on the reins to turn her on the trail, urging her forward with a weak gasp of ‘back to the house’. She was off in an instant, racing down the trail. 

Jesse closed his eyes as she ran, attempting to calm himself and his breaths. The gore had burned itself into the back of his eyelids, the deer staring back at him. It’s head had been left this time, but it’s neck was broken. He could see everything inside. 

Jesse held his breath at the thought, bracing himself against Clementine.

The ride was far too long, even with Clem running at full speed down the trail. The cold he’d loved before burned his cheeks now, Jesse attempting to hide his face to keep it warm. His chest burned with each breath, lungs still fighting him with each breath in. Every time he tried to breathe through it he was filled with fear. Embarrassment. Shame. All thighs he’d buried deep, years and years ago. 

And then he was flying. 

Jesse braced himself as he was flipped over Clem’s head, his back hitting the dirt and knocking what breath he had left right out of him. 

Still wheezing for air, Jesse stared at the sky above, birds fluttering past the points of the trees as if he wasn’t reliving a nightmare right then and there. It felt like years passed before a chill ran through him, a wave of nausea following it. He sprang up and undressed, ripping his clothes off and tossing them away haphazardly, his breaths still constricted. He had shifted in no time, but the panic and fear didn’t cease. He heard Clementine knicker, but it sounded so far away. Everything sounded so far away..

Jack hadn’t been on patrol in years. He and Gabe had retired a couple of years before, leaving the reserve for their little townhouse in the city. Gabe had finally decided Jesse could handle living there and could patrol on his own, but now he was begging Jack to go out and ‘check up on things’. He’d almost refused, knowing if he didn’t, Gabe would. 

Of course, if Gabriel came out here he’d never leave and Jesse would blame Jack for the whole thing. He didn’t need both of them acting like children when there was some unknown, dangerous creature on the loose. Grown men or not, they could both be hellishly childish. 

Jack wasn’t even halfway down the trail when he heard another horse, snorting and stomping on the trail. Jesse should have been back at the cabin by now, it was well past noon at this point. However, when he rounded the corner he saw both Clementine and a naked Jesse, just standing there in the middle of the trail. 

“ Jess? What happened?” He dismounted and got closer, giving Clementine a few comforting pats. 

Jesse didn’t answer, looking up with an unreadable expression. Jack sighed, knowing he wouldn’t get much out of him with the state he was in. 

“ okay...put your pants on at least.. I’ll get everything else” He ordered, gathering the clothing and stuffing it into his own saddlebag. He took Clementine by the reins and mounted his own horse, watching as Jesse dressed like he was on autopilot. Checked out for the time being. 

“ Do you need help getting up?” He asked, Jesse not answering as he climbed onto Clementine’s back. Jack simply took her by the reins and urged both of the horses forward. The walk was slow, Jack having to check every few minutes to make sure Jesse hadn’t fallen off. 

They arrived at the cabin without too much trouble, Jack hurrying to get Jesse inside so he didn’t catch sick from how cold it was. He wasn’t nearly as gentle as Ana or Gabe, but he managed to get Jesse settled in bed in no time at all. He called the both of them while he took care of the horses, giving them a vague explanation of what happened over the phone. He hoped it hadn’t been another corpse, but he wasn’t going to leave Jesse here alone just to check. Though he’d seemed alright the first time, clearly there was something more at work here. This kind of thing...it hadn’t happened since Jesse was a teenager, so they had a good reason to worry. It really wasn’t like him to go into this sort of state after shifting anymore. 

By the time Ana and Gabriel showed up, Jesse was feeling a little more like himself. A little. He could no longer feel the clammy hands on his throat, but there was a lingering chill. He dressed in a post-shifting haze and headed for the living room - only to see all three of his guardians sitting there. Gabe and Jack were bickering over God knows what, Ana perched on the arm of the sofa with a faint smile. It was an image plucked right from Jesse’s teenage years, the three of them often going through this after dinner. 

Ana spotted him first, her expression turning grim. 

“ Jesse - how are you feeling?”

“ fine..” he muttered, throat dry and scratchy. He avoided her gaze anxiously, knowing it wasn’t the answer she was looking for, “ just tired..”

It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what happened. Even if he wasn’t all there, the feeling of seeing the corpse remained. Not to mention the visual of it was still smoldering in the back of his mind. He could almost smell it. 

“ good. Now you can tell us why you weren’t being more careful after you were specifically told to take caution”

Shit. She was pissed. He could handle Jack or Gabe when they were angry, but Ana was impossible. 

“ We warned you and you still went on a normal patrol? Why didn’t you take your phone? Or your gun for that matter? Why didn’t you call someone to go with you?”

“ I don’t need a babysitter-”

“ the hell you don’t!” Gabe stood, crossing the room in a matter of seconds “ What if it hadn’t been a corpse? What, then, pendejo? You’re face to face with this-this beast without a fucking gun or any backup !?” 

“ I was careful!” Jesse retorted, moving so they were chest to chest. Gabriel only had about an inch over him, but his presence was still much more intimidating.

“ Not careful enough!” Gabe spat, “ You can’t go out on your own anymore, it’s not-”

“ I’M A FUCKING ADULT!”

“ NOT TO ME!” Gabriel grabbed his shoulders, the same place that he’d felt chilled hands grope before. The touch was much warmer. Much less terrifying. Even if Gabe was yelling at him. 

“ You’re still my son and I’m...I’m worried for you..” He continued, his expression shifting to worry. 

The silence fell thickly between the, Jack finally getting up with a sigh, “ Jess, I’m sending Lt. Matthews on your next patrol. You’re not permitted to leave the cabin by yourself. Not until we figure out what the hell is going on”

Jesse started to argue, but Ana’s sharp glance his way and Gabriel’s worried expression shut him up. 

“...alright. Fine” He muttered, pulling out of Gabriel’s grip and childishly crossing his arms. 

Gabriel visibly relaxed a little seemingly satisfied with his answer. 

“ Good. Where’d you see the body? Same place?”

Jesse nodded, “ on the trail this time. Right by the cliff”

“ Alright. I’ll call Dr. Zenyatta and have him take a look before we clean everything up” Jack headed for the door with that, Ana following with a meaningful glance between Gabe and Jesse. 

They were alone within minutes, the silence weighing him down the longer it lasted. 

Gabriel finally sighed, running a hand through his hair, “ I know it seems like I’m...babying you...I don’t mean to, just-”

He groaned, finally just resorting to giving Jesse an awkward pat on the shoulder. He was, as always, having trouble explaining his feelings. Jack called it charming, but Jesse didn’t see it. 

“ I’m real proud of you..of the man you’ve become. I just wish I could be around more” he continued, squeezing Jesse’s shoulder.

Jesse managed a faint smile, chuckling and resting his hands in his pockets, “ You’re starting to sound like an old man. Careful, pops, or you’ll start goin’ grey”

Gabe laughed at that, rolling his eyes and pulling away. He headed for the door. 

“ Only you could age me that quickly. Don’t go anywhere alone or I’ll end up a silver fox”

“Yessir” Jesse gave a mock salute, watching as Gabe headed out the door. He passed the window before he was out of sight, Jesse collapsing onto the couch with a loud groan.

Years of training and getting stronger - wasted once again on a corpse. Shameful. He should have been over it by now. 

Exhausted as he was, Jesse wanted to prove himself more than ever. If he could just track the beast and find out what it is..then maybe everything could go back to normal. 

Of course, he wasn’t aiming to get in trouble, so he planned to escape in a couple of days, when tensions weren’t as high and Gabe wasn’t as likely to check up on him every hour. Hopefully he’d have something to show for it. 

Then everything could be peaceful again. 


	4. Chapter 4

Jesse sighed, flashlight trained on the woods in front of him. It wasn’t as chilly as previous nights, but he wondered if it was just because of how restless he and Clementine had become. 

An owl screeched in the distance, Clem stomping anxiously. She wanted to go  _ now.  _

“ I know, sweetness, we’ll be off soon..” he muttered, giving her a comforting pat, “ gotta wait for the babysitter again..”

“ Babysitter? That’s all I am to ya?”

Jesse glanced up at that, moving his flashlight so he could see. Lt. Matthews, mounted on his horse, was waiting on the trail. He grinned and tipped his hat a little when Jesse shined the flashlight on him. 

“ Ya know I don’t mean it, “ Jesse teased, chuckling dryly, “ ready to go? Clem’s gettin’ restless”

They left with that, Lt. Matthews rambling on and on about ‘the good ol’ days’ the entire time. He even told a few choice stories about Jack and Gabe when they were younger, the potential blackmail making Jesse laugh from time to time. However, his mind was still elsewhere, even as his eyes scanned the dark forest around them. 

It had been two days since he was put under ‘house arrest’. In addition to that, Gabriel insisted on calling him every hour to check in on him. Jesse begged Jack to make him stop, but Gabre was just too damn stubborn - something Jesse had unfortunately picked up on after all these years. Thankfully they hadn’t found another corpse, Jesse thinking that - since it had settled down - he could go out on his own and find the creature. Jack, Gabe and Ana didn’t tell him much about the investigation. Ana had mentioned that the zoologists they hired suspected that it was a bear, but they still weren’t sure. There wasn’t enough evidence to suggest it had been an animal at all. DNA tests were coming up empty, the samples they’d collected mysteriously disappearing or being completely useless. Jesse just wanted to find the damn thing so he could go back to normal. 

Patrol seemed to last forever, Lt. Mathews finally riding Jesse back to his cabin and promising to be back the next night with more stories about Gabe and Jack. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to be, if it all went according to plan. 

Jesse made sure the man was gone before hurrying to his bedroom. He’d been planning his own little investigation over the last couple of days and now would be the perfect time. With any luck, he’d be back before they knew he was gone. He grabbed the backpack he’d been stocking from under the bed and did a quick to check to make sure everything was still there. He had everything from tranquilizers to camping supplies, unsure how long he’d be gone. He’d try to get back by the patrol, but he wanted more than answers. He wanted to find the creature and stop it. 

Jesse didn’t plan to kill it, merely wanting to put it to sleep and try and get it back to the station. He knew he’d need better equipment for that, but if he could track it back to where it was sleeping...that would be enough. Jesse hesitantly holstered his pistol. He didn’t want to kill it. He had always felt a little guilty when he had to hurt animals, but he would use it if he had to. 

The first step was to get Gabe off his back for a few hours. 

‘Going to bed. Don’t call me’ he tested, tossing his phone onto the bed and shouldering on his backpack. He hoped it was convincing enough to give him just a bit of extra time. He certainly couldn’t take it with him, knowing that Gabe would relentlessly track him down. 

Jesse headed out of the cabin with that, Clementine whinnying in protest when he passed her paddock. He shushed her and promised they’d go out together next time. If there was a next time. 

He’d either die trying or gabe would lock him up for good, evidence or not. 

The trail was a little more difficult on foot, but Jesse managed to make it to the cliff without too much trouble. The sun had crept higher and higher as he walked, sweat soon beading on his forehead and rolling down the back of his neck. It was getting warmer by the day, the forest turning green all too quickly. Spring was in the air, but it wasn’t the peaceful, hopeful time it usually was. The end of the trail had been cleaned up a bit, but there was still a bit of a smell and a stain where the corpse had laid. His heart raced a little at the sight, the scent almost drawing nausea to the surface. But he couldn’t shift now, not while he was doing something do important. 

Jesse examined the spot for a bit, even though he knew there hadn’t been much evidence even when they had just discovered it. There were plenty of footprints in the dust around the area, but they were all human. There was no fur, no drag marks. The creature was too good at covering it’s tracks, leaving nothing behind to suggest what it was or what direction it had gone. Not even a scrap of fur. He finally left the spot and headed deeper into the woods, back to where he;d found the first one. The lack of a trail didn’t help, but he knew the spot when he saw it. The grass was stained with decay, a few pieces of fur and bone left from where they hadn’t cleaned it up well enough. Jesse took a deep breath and steeled himself against the growing anxiety, he had work to do. It was easier to see the struggle here than on the trail. No footprints, but broken sticks and crushed leaves littered the area around the bush. Jesse slowly followed the trail of snapped twigs, the only evidence that a creature had been here at all. 

He was walking for nearly an hour when the trail ended on the edge of a creek, one that he hadn’t been to before. After all, he had never gone this deep into the forest before. The dry winter had left the creek low, the water hardly an inch deep. He considered crossing, but it was hard to tell if the creature had done so. He searched for remaining broken twigs, leaves, maybe a few tracks. Then he saw it. On the bank of the creek, where the mud had dried into a chalky dirt, there was a paw print. His eyes crept over the rocky creek bed, a few indents of the same size making their way across the creek. 

Jesse almost wished he’d brought his phone so he could snap a picture, the paw print telling him plenty. It was a wolf, it had to be. Maybe a huge dog. He knew for sure it wasn’t a bear, at least. The thought was only a slight relief, the idea of a wolf not much better. Especially if the wolf was as big as the prints suggested. He didn’t care. He was going to track it down. 

Jesse made his way across the creek, cold water seeping through the soles of his boots and soaking his socks. It didn’t matter, he was on the trail. He couldn’t lose it, not when he was so close. 

Darkness came all too quickly, Jesse having lost the trail once again. He finally decided to settle down by the creek, the last place he’d seen the trail. He knew Gabe had probably been calling nonstop by now. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if the man had already torn apart the cabin looking for him. Knowing this, Jesse set up camp on the bank of the creek, shielded by a large tree that hung over the water. It was a little sandy, but it would do for now. He stripped off his boots and socks and hung them to dry, not bothering to make a fire. He’d be fine without it, not wanting to alert either the wolf or his guardians to his presence. He was sure they’d be scouring the area for him tonight, thinking he was going to become another corpse. The thought made his heart jump a little, the sounds of the forest suddenly too close. Too loud. He took a shuddering breath and curled up in the sand, fighting the nausea that followed. 

  
  
  


The next day was just as fruitless as before. He found a few paw prints, a few snapped twigs, but nothing substantial. It ended with him sleeping on the ground once again, the forest closing up on him as he slept. 

By the third morning, he was starting to wonder if he should just go back. To admit that he had disobeyed direct orders and still found nothing. The thought bit at him, the male cleaning up his things and tossing the backpack over his shoulder. He was determined to find it today. He would find it today, even if it meant tracking the creature through the night. 

Jesse spent the morning tracing his steps back to the creek, thinking he’d find more there. Maybe fresh tracks or even the wolf itself. He had pulled off his shoes and socks, setting them with his backpack before stepping into the cold water and scouring the creek bed. He had already found some deer prints, a couple of racoon...but not wolf prints. 

He stood up to dry off when he saw it - a clump of white fur. The ever-moving water pushed it against a rick, the clump stuck there. He didn’t recognize it. Jesse picked up the wet fur and sniffed it. It didn’t have the musk of wildness that most mammals did. In fact, it smelled...clean. Like someone had thoroughly shampooed the creature. He rubbed it between his fingers, the thickness of it indicating a winter coat. Given the time of year, most creatures would be shedding them, but not in thick clumps like this. 

Against his better judgement, Jesse stripped off his clothes, tossing them onto the bank where his backpack lay. He set the fur on a rock and shifted, the feeling of a weight being lifted far more comforting than the nausea that usually occurred. Shifting on purpose was a far more comfortable experience. He sniffed the fur again, hoping to get a trace of something. Still, no musk. No predatory pheromones that would usually make him stiff with fear. No dirt. Instead there was a faint, flowery scent. He struggled to place it. Maybe lavender? He didn’t have half as much experience with flowers as he ought to. 

Jesse shook his head a bit, snorting the fur away. It was just too strange. He considered taking it back to Ana, knowing it would provide a lot more evidence than his sightings of pawprints and twigs. However, when he moved to - regretfully - pick it up and move it with his mouth, a flash of white caught his eye. He dropped the fur, the water pushing it downstream. His ears perked at the sound of a twig breaking and he turned, hooves struggling to find traction in the loose gravel of the creek bed. 

On the bank above him stood the biggest, whitest wolf he’d ever seen. It was practically glowing in the morning sun, the greens of the forest contrasting its luxurious coat. He could barely see it breath, the creature far more slow and graceful than he thought it’d be. 

Jesse couldn’t move, stricken with a familiar panic. The beast’s stare only made the primal fear deepen, his legs shaking where he stood. He was - so to speak - a deer caught in the headlights. The wolf just stared with a steel gaze, as if considering him. Jesse was smaller than most bucks, having been created that way, but he knew size was of no importance to the beast. He swallowed thickly, trying to concentrate on shifting back. Maybe if the wolf knew he was a human, he’d get scared and run off. Though Jesse seriously doubted it, it was all he could do. He stared right back into the wolf’s eyes, chest constricting with each panicked breath. 

Concentrate. 

The wolf huffed a bit, creeping forward almost silently. 

Concentrate

It crept down the bank, wolves easily finding traction in the thick mud. Jesse could see a couple of faint scars on its legs and muzzle, as if it had been in a fight. 

Concentrate. 

It was so close now that Jesse could feel its hot breath on his nose. Scentless. The scent of it’s fur overwhelmed him instead, the flowery smell making him feel woozy. 

The moment the wolf broke its stare and lunged forward, Jesse shifted. 

The beast’s jaw just missed his neck, the sharp teeth catching his arm instead. The force of it crushed his arm almost immediately, Jesse’s head aching first. His arm was numb, the wolf stopping when it saw what he was. It stared for a moment, Jesse closing his eyes and just hoping it’d kill him quickly. Instead, pain blossomed in his arm when it pulled away, the nerves no longer numb. Unable to catch himself, Jesse shifted and collapsed into the water, his inured arm becoming an injured leg instead. 

The wolf just stood there, staring at him. The wolf’s jaws were clean of blood, as was Jesse’s foreleg. He moved to escape, thinking that maybe the wolf was just confused. However, the second he moved to get up, the wolf bolted into the woods, a flash of white among the bright green trees. 

  
  


He lived. 

Fuck, he lived, Jesse couldn’t believe it. He was confused, but the pain in his foreleg distracted him from trying to figure out what had just happened. There was no time to try and gather his things. It was going to be dark soon and the only thing worse than being injured and shifted was being those things in the dark of the forest. 

Unable to put pressure on his leg, the journey back was excruciating. He could barely keep himself upright, much less conscious. By the time he made it back to the trail, the pain had become a constant haze, burning in the back of his mind as he willed himself forward. It was well past midnight when he finally made it to the cabin, the warm glow of it and several figures rushing over to him the last thing he saw before he collapsed into the dirt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No I did not make Jesse a deer just to make that joke how dare you 
> 
> As always feedback is much appreciated, as this story is not beta read , though I would like it to be....


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, some anxiety/panic attacks in the beginning wit mentions of nausea. Just putting it out there so no one is surprised

Even in his semi-conscious state, the sterile scent of a hospital woke something in him. Visions of shadowy figures coaxing him into a bed, pressing a strange mask over his nose and mouth. They told him to take deep breaths and he did. They were adults. They knew what they were doing. He didn’t fall asleep, the strange smelling gas only making him feel a little hazy. The edges of the world blurred together, the boy resisting the urge to fight. The shadowy figures around him were doctors. They must have been. His mama had always held his hand during doctor’s appointments, gently telling him they wouldn’t hurt him. He remembered her voice as the masked figures moved around him. One of them held a needle. The boy pressed his eyes closed and squeezed at the air, where his mama’s hand usually was. She wasn’t here right now, so he had to be brave. He didn’t dare open his eyes, even when the needle slid all too painfully into his skin.   
There was a burning pain and when he finally opened them the white wolf stared back, the cold walls of the lab making way for lush first. He slowly reached out to the wolf, only for it to lunge, jaws clenching painfully onto his arm.   
Jesse screamed, the noise lost to a now empty forest. 

Jesse woke with a groan, His shirt was damp, his hair sticking to his face and neck. Another restless night, he supposed. His breath hitched at the gentle touch of a hand, pressing his hair back to make way for something cool and soft. He knew it was Ana’s hand before he opened his eyes, the gesture reminiscent of his early days at the reserve. She’d sit at his bedside and brush her hands through his hair, whispering the nightmares away and promising that he was safe. He almost laughs when he remembers how jealous Fareeha would get. He’d have to call and tease her about it later. 

He finally opened his eyes, wincing slightly at the bright fluorescents of the clinic. Ana stood over him, just as he predicted. She frowned, saying nothing. Worry had ged her far beyond her tears, her grimace only making her seem older.

“What...happened?” His voice was raspy and foreign to him, his throat dry and aching, “ the wolf….?”  
“ Don’t move “ Ana murmured, leaving the room without another word. The gentle thrum of old hospital equipment was almost enough to lull Jesse back to sleep, his eyes starting to close. The loud slam of a door opening jolted him awake again, the male quick to sit up despite Ana’s warnings. He immediately regretted it, his arm throbbing at the movement. Nausea hit him hard, vision swimming as Gabe rushed over and pressed him back into the pillow.   
Jesse let out a weak chuckle at the sight of him. 

“ ya look like shit..”

Gabriel looked exhausted, much like he had when he and Jack first picked Jesse up off the side of the road. He hadn’t seen the man look this rundown in ages. 

Gabe just sighed, slumping down into a nearby chair, “ trust me kid, you look much worse”

Jesse couldn’t even think of a witty comeback, his hazy trail of thought quickly interrupted by the door opening again. Ana and Jack led the way, three people he didn’t recognize trailing after them. Two of them wore lab coats, far too similar to the ones that often haunted his dreams.   
Despite how seren the two looked, his initial reaction was to run.

Gabe must’ve called them. He was tired of Jesse’s shit. He was going to send Jesse back and be rid of him once and for all. They were going to take him back and pump him so full of drugs he couldn't even dream of escaping again.   
A voice in the back of his mind reminded him how worried Gabe was, but his instincts screamed at him to get the hell out of there. Get out and go back to deadlock. Even if they ripped him apart it’d be better than going back to the lab. 

His stomach lurched at the thought, nausea creeping it’s way up his throat. His vision tilted, head beginning to throb as he resisted the urge to shift. No it’d be even harder to escape .ike that.   
He had to get away. 

Gabriel grabbed his shoulder, the touch only steadying him a little. In his panic he had sat up again. Breathing raspy and uneven. He sounded like he was on his deathbed now that he could hear himself. 

“ Jesse, calm down…” 

Jesse shook his head. He felt small. Too small. Too small and too thin and tired to fight. He was fifteen again, bones screaming to get away, no matter how comforting the man’s touch was. 

Gabe easily pushed him back into the pillows, Jesse too preoccupied with trying not to shift that he couldn’t fight it. The scientists just stared, their faces blurred out when he looked at them. He didn’t want to see their reactions, didn’t want more faces to add to his nightmares.   
“ please-” he begged, grabbing at Gabe’s hand, “ don’t make me go with them-please- I’ll be better, I swear-”

Gabe’s grip loosened a bit, his eyes suddenly dark. His brow furrowed and Jesse swore he looked like he would cry. But he;d never seen Gabe cry before.   
Jesse flinched when he felt another hand on his shoulder, Jack appearing at his left. Another hand began stroking his hair again, pressing his bangs back in a comforting manner. He didn’t fight the touches, the panic in his chest loosening its old. 

“ mijo...we’re not sending you anywhere, I promise…” Gabe murmured, squeezing his shoulder, his thumb stroking the bare skin there, “ Calm down, they’re here to help..”

He sounded so heartbroken Jesse almost believed him. 

“ Jesse, you’re not being sent away, “ Jack assured, pulling away with a faint sigh, “ you’re stuck with us, kid”

The nausea faded with each pass of fingers on his scalp, Jesse finally just nodding. His panic still squeezed at his lungs, but he believed them. Gabe would never send him away, especially not back to him. He’d never do that, not after Jesse had shared his experiences with him. He knew that. He was just acting stupid, the faint headache certainly not helping. He focused on Ana’s gentle strokes and the force of Gabe’s hand against his shoulder, his breathing evening out a bit. 

“ Just hear them out, Jesse..” he wasn’t sure who said it in his hez, but he blearily nodded, finally glancing up at the strangers. 

The tallest and clearly oldest of the three was a bald man, his face calm and serene. He hadn’t seemed to react to Jesse’s panic, his calm demeanor a little unsettling.   
The young woman next to him looked much more anxious. Her blond hair was starting to fall out of her ponytail, eyebrows furrowed in worry. She watched him like he might cry, Jesse absentmindedly thinking that she was a little less intimidating than the other scientist. The third figure wasn’t wearing a lab coat at all, instead spirting a hoodie and joggers. Despite his heavily scarred face, he waved and gave Jesse a cheeky smile, unbothered by his clear distrust. Jesse nearly missed it, but the male’s hand appeared ti be made of metal. Robotic, even. 

He didn’t know what to make of that. 

Ana finally pulled away, but Gabe stayed close, hand still steadying his shoulder. 

“ Jesse, this is Dr. Zenyatta and his assistant Dr. Angela Ziegler, the zoologists that have been helping us out, as well as good friends of mine..” Ana introduced,” they have experience with shifters and want to help you…”  
“ with what?” 

There was a long silence, Ana purposefully avoiding his gaze. He looked to Gabe instead, frowning faintly. Ana was only quiet when there was bad news. Really bad news. 

Gabe said nothing, glancing down at his arm instead. Jesse followed his gaze and immediately understood. His arm was gone from the elbow down. There was just..nothing. 

He swallowed thickly, bile rising in his throat at the sight. He braced himself against the nausea, trying not to let himself panic again. There was another long silence as he stared at where it used to be. No wonder it didn’t hurt as ad as it should have. He finally spoke, the first to break the silence. 

“ shit...Clem is gonna be pissed” was all he knew to say. He let out a dry chuckle, “ I promised we’d go riding soon..”

Ana frowned, still avoiding his gaze, “ I’m sorry, Jesse..I did what I could. Your arm was beyond surgery…”

Jesse just nodded, throat feeling like it might close up and suffocate him, “ s’okay”

“ Jesse…” 

He looked up when the blonde - Angela - spoke. 

“We’re going to do all we can to help,” She gestured to the nameless man beside her, “This is Genji, he’s...well, you’re the same”

He looked to Genjim eyeing him carefully, “ he’s a…?”

“A shifter. “ Genji finished, stepping forward, “Ange saved me from the lab and helped Zenyatta develop special prostheses… with some help from a couple of expert mechanics”

Jesse didn’t believe him, frowning at his words. There was no way he was a shifter like that. He shouldn’t be able to shift like that, half of his body replaced with metal. 

Genji could clearly tell he didn’t believe it, proceeding to strip off his hoodie and toss it onto the bed. He really was half robot, but that part wasn’t Jesse’s problem with his story. And then Genji disappeared. Or so it seemed. 

Moments later a bird flew up onto the bed, hopping towards Jesse with an enthusiastic chirp. A sparrow, he knew immediately, though half of it;s body was metal - like Genji. He couldn’t even begin to figure out how the hell the mechanical bits worked, but even more interestingly he’d never seen someone able to shift into something so small. 

“Hell..don’t reckon I’m dreamin’....I ain’t got half the mind to think this shit up..” He muttered, glancing at Gabe. The man chuckled faintly, squeezing Jesse’s shoulder. When Jesse looked back, Genji was human again, slipping his hoodie on with that same easy smile. 

“Please give our offer some thought, Mr. Mcree,” Dr. Zenyatta smiled, “ we only wish to help”

The three left with that, Jack and Ana following them out and discussing what they should have for lunch. It occurred to Jesse that he didn’t even know what time it was, the clinic’s lack of windows not helping much. His stomach growled, but Jesse didn;t want to eat. Not when he felt like he could be sick any second. 

Gabe had finally pulled away, slumping in his chair. Now that he was a little more alert, Jesse could see the bags under his eyes. 

“ How long was I out?” He asked, knowing from past experience that Gabe probably hadn’t slept. Or ate. Or taken care of himself at all. 

“ couple of days...shit, Jess, why d’you always go out and do this shit?” he asked, frowning deeply. Now that Jesse wasn’t freaking out he was mad again, “you think you can handle yourself but you-you’re still just a kid-”

“The hell I am!” Jesse retorted, voice still rasping from the lack of water, “ I found out more on my own then ya’ll did in a week!”

“That doesn’t matter - you shouldn;t have gone out like that on your own! You could’ve been killed!”

“But I wasn’t!”

“You lost your goddamn arm, Jesse!” Gabriel got up at that, angrily headed for the door, “you think you’re grown up, Jesse, but you’re still my son”

He left wit that, Jesse’s anger boiling over. He shouted a curse, blood still hot from the argument. He hated it all. Gabe’s overprotectiveness. The fuckers that had made him like this.The damned wolf that took his arm. Fuck, he was even mad at himself for getting so scared and ruining the investigation. It was then that Jesse decided he’d hunt down the damn thing and get rid of it, morals be damned. If he couldn’t get back at the scientists that ruined his life he could get revenge on the wolf that had made it worse.

That evening, Jesse made the choice to trust Dr. Zenyatta. They assured him he’d be back to full working order by the fall, but he promised to get better in a month. Ana warned him that it wouldn’t do much for him mentally, but he would help get rid of this wolf no matter what. 

The month passed slowly, Jesse working hard to get used to the prosthetic Angela gave him. It had been finished rather quickly, designed specifically with him in mind. He’d have to thank the engineer once this was all over. It was designed to shift with him, but he knew he’d have to get used to it before he could really do much with it. 

Aside from working his ass off to get better, Jesse spent much of the month being watched bt Gabriel and talking with Genji.   
Tonight, the two sat on Jesse’s couch, Genji recounting his time in the labs. Jesse had asked about it casually, but Genji was willing to tell him as much as he could. 

“My father was ruthless. He told my brother and I that becoming shifters would make us stronger...that it was some kind of honor..” Genji sighed, “I see now that he only said this to convince our mother that he was doing the right thing”

Genji had previously explained the history of the labs, going on about how his father’s company had bought them and worked to create human weapons. He worked with the government for a while, but nowadays they were doing it in secret. It made Jesse sick to hear that this shit was still going on after all these years. 

He had never been to the other two labs. He didn’t even know there was more than one, his world limited to concrete walls and painful nights in solitary confinement. 

“The experiments are flawed, even today. That’s how I ended up a sparrow and you a deer-” Genji frowned, voice becoming soft, “But I am beginning to think I was purposefully bred to be killed”

Despite his hesitancy to trust the doctors, Jesse had easily opened up to Genji and vice versa. He wrapped an arm around the male and gave a comforting squeeze, “I know that feelin’. Fightin’ every damn day when they just want ya gone…”

Genji chuckled faintly, “They made me fight my brother. He was told to kill me immediately. I don’t even remember what he looked like then...it all happened so quickly”

Jesse squeezed a little harder, Genji’s warmth pressing into his side a little. 

“ ‘m sorry...you ever see him again?” He asked, wondering if Genji hated him for such a thing. 

Genji sighed, “ No. I wish I knew what became of him...he was always the more sensitive one when it came to pain...I simply wish to find him one day and let him know that I am alright-”

Jesse pulled away a little, cutting him off, “ he almost killed you- you aren't sayin’ you forgive him?”

“We were children. Pawns of Alphacom* and my father” Genji explained, voice soft, “It was never easy for him, either. We were so close before being taken to the lab, I know he didn’t want to…” 

Jesse just hummed faintly at that. He supposed that even a brother-killer deserved a second chance. He still wondered why the hell Jack and Gabe had given him one after all these years. 

“ i hope ya find him, buddy..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Alphacom is the company that owns the labs and is run by the Shimada family


	6. Chapter 6

As the month came to an end, so too did Jesse’s patience. They had found three more corpses and no sign of the wolf. No tracks, fur, nothing. Jesse was already hatching a plan to bait the wolf, even if it meant putting himself in danger again. 

Ana reluctantly cleared him to help with the investigation, though she warned that he shouldn’t strain himself . Used to the prosthetic or not, he was still recovering from the nerve damage. The prosthetic itself was fairly similar to Genji’s in function, though the colors were a little different and reacted more fluidly with his body when he shifted . He could move his fingers as if it were his normal hand, though he couldn’t feel anything he touched. He supposed that was to be expected..

Clementine hadn’t easily accepted the robotic arm, nor Genji’s cyborg-like presence. She was like Jesse in that way, inherently distrusting of complicated technology. However, with plenty of coaxing and treats she accepted Jesse. She still didn’t like Genji, though, no matter how many apples he snuck her. Jesse joined the investigation meetings in no time, though his plan wasn’t met with positive feedback. Gab, as always, shot it down immediately-deeming it too dangerous for everyone involved. Especially the bait. 

“Jesse, you can’t bait this..this monster, even if we do come with you,” Gabe warned, “ it could actually kill you this time”

“ it won’t. I'm fast enough to outrun it and it got scared when I shifted last time-” Jesse retorted, slamming his hands on the heavy table in front of him, “ ya’ll don’t have any better ideas, do you?”

The two had interrupted the meeting to argue, the other patrons watching silently. This was the third time this week Jesse had brought the plan up and Gabe just kept rejecting it. 

The room was silent for several minutes, the morning birdsong outside the station windows hardly filling the void. 

Jack finally sighed, running a hand through graying hair, “ I say we just do it. It’s the only plan we’ve got right now.”

Gabe shot his husband a look, opening his mouth to argue.   
Ana interrupted him. 

“Just give him one chance, Gabriel. We will be right there with hi, he’ll be okay”

Jesse watched Gabe expectantly, the man frowning and weighing his options before finally sitting back down. 

“Alright...but if anything happens I’ll kill you myself” 

Jesse sighed, chuckling, “sure thing, pops…”

The next morning they put the plan into action. Jesse, already shifted, led the way into the woods. Genji fluttered nearby, keeping lookout. Ana and Gabe were hidden in a nearby bush, equipped with tranquilizers and binoculars. Jack had perched himself in a tree with his own supplies. 

Even knowing he risk, Jesse wasn’t afraid. He’d already cheated death three times, he could do it again. He was sure he could do it again. He was going to get rid of this damned wolf and get back to his normal life. Early mornings on patrol...singing to Clementine….he just wanted his life back. He milled around the clearing, prosthetic creaking under him. It had shifted with him like it was meant to, the usual arm replaced with a hoof and leg. He just hoped the wolf didn’t recognize him and run off, though he doubted it would remember. It was smart enough not to leave traces, though, so he wasn’t sure. 

He stood there for hours, every rustle and crack of a twig putting him on edge, ready to run. By the time twilight fell, the others decided to call it quits. Jesse’s stomach churned with hunger, but he wanted to stay. They had to catch it. They just had to. Genji shifted back and convinced him to come eat dinner, that they could try again in a couple of days. As he was dressing, though, he heard Jack and Ana speaking quietly about having to try something else. He had one chance and the damn thing hadn’t even shown up. 

Jesse ate a little diner before excusing himself to go to bed, his mind elsewhere. Why hadn't it come? Surely it was hungry. It wouldn’t be eating the deer if it weren’t. He was lying in bed thinking it over when Gabe came in, dressed to go out on patrol in Jesse's place. 

“Hey...look, it wasn’t a bad idea, but...hell, we’re just gonna have to try something else” He sighe, standing in the doorway, “ ‘m sorry I keep yellin’ at you..you know I’m just worried, right mijo?”

Jesse sighed, setting up, “ I know...I just want to go back to normal..”

Gabe chuckled faintly, “ well, you can never count on nature to do what you want, Jess. A wolf that big could probably sense from a mile away. Guess he doesn't like people too much....”

Jesse murmured an agreement, watching as Gabe turned and headed back for the living room, “ get some sleep, we’ll try something else tomorrow..”

“Be careful out there, “ Jesse warned, Gabe shooting him a smile before leaving. Jesse lied back down, letting out a deep sigh. He;d just have to try again on his own tomorrow morning. 

The next morning, Jesse snuck out as early as possible. Gabe was stationed on his couch, as he had been for the entire month. Thankfully the events of the day before and the patrol had exhausted him, the man hardly stirring as Jesse shuffled out the front door. 

He ventured into the woods on his own, treating Clem to an apple as he passed so she didn’t wake Gabe. He felt bad not taking her again, knowing she just wanted to get out and run around. But he didn’t want her getting hurt.   
He had armed himself with his pistol and a couple of Ana’s tranquilizer darts. Hopefully the dodge was high enough to put the thing to sleep - he didn’t want to kill it if he didn’t have to. Even if he had been set on revenge the entire month, the idea of killing an animal still made his chest hurt. He knew he’d do it if he really had to, but he still...he didn’t want to be rid of the wolf in that way. 

Jesse made his way to the little creek where he’d first seen it. He figured the wolf hadn’t come the day before because they just weren’t close enough to its hiding place. He stripped and hid his clothes and things behind a nearby bush, just out of reach. He could shift and grab the darts in a second’s notice when he saw it. He hoped. 

He shifted and waited, trying to act natural. 

Jesse was hardly there an hour when he saw it. A flash of white among the green, just across the creek. 

Act natural. 

Act natural. 

He slowly moved closer to the bush, pretending to graze at the thin grass there. The wolf was faster than he accounted for. It was close enough to see clearly in a matter of seconds, staring at him from the opposite bank. 

He continued to move slowly, pretending he didn’t notice it.He eyed the creature carefully, the wolf just staring at him, unmoving. It should have attacked by now, the lack of movement unnerving him.   
He looked up, staring right back at the creature. It flinched, ears flattening against its head. It backed away just slightly and Jesse immediately understood. It recognized him. It knew that he was human.   
It looked ready to bolt, Jesse quick to shift and call out to it despite his better judgement. 

“Wait-” it stopped as if it understood him. He held his hands up, “don’t..don't go, I want to help”

The wolf stared as Jesse moved towards the bush, his hands going for the gun. But he stopped when the wolf began to move towards him, slow and graceful across the creek. 

Fuck. He was going to die. He was going to be mauled to death for real this time. 

He was quick to grab his pants and pull them on, at least wanting to keep his dignity. He grabbed the tranquilizer gun next, but when he stood straight again the wolf was gone. He frowned, expecting to see a flash of white in the distance. However, his eyes lowered to the creek bed and he instead saw the most beautiful man he;d ever seen emerging from the water. He swallowed, dropping the gun and staring. He finally put two and twp together. The wolf had been scared. Had understood him, what he was. It hadn’t ;eft tracks, even on the trail. All because he was a shifter. And Jesse had just promised to ‘help’ him. 

Gabe was going to be pissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok this chapter is a little sloppy and goes a little fast because HE'S FINALLY HERE.   
> the image of Hanzo emerging naked from water has been living in my brain rent free for WEEKS so now you all have to have it too
> 
> As alwasy I appreciate any feedback and thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, I know it's been done before, but a shifter au is so important to me. I have created a shifter universe with my friends and worked on it since 2013 through character creation and roleplaying. It's been a whole journey, but this fic will definitely help test the limits of the universe and what needs to be fixed before I ever use it in a serious story/comic (which I would really love to do one day). There are lots of rules to the universe and to shifting, but I hope that the readers will point out flaws/ask questions throughout the story to help me really solidify my universe. This shifter universe is my BABY, so I will pit as much thought and care into this fic as I possibly can. I hope you all love it as much as my friends and I do.


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